


Seconds Between

by sunlian



Series: tumblr prompts [6]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Genre: Angst, Custom Hawke, F/F, Major Character Injury, Mild Gore, Violence, Warrior Hawke - Freeform, Werewolf Hawke, panicked gf w anger issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-24
Updated: 2018-02-24
Packaged: 2019-03-23 08:15:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13783446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunlian/pseuds/sunlian
Summary: Cross posted a prompt from tumblr- LI falls in battle.———Sometimes, “seeing red” isn’t enough.





	Seconds Between

**Author's Note:**

> a prompt i got from my friend gothic-princess-witch (goes by that name here and on tumblr) that i like enough to post here

“Red” is not the right word for what Hawke sees. “Red” is too mild, too weak, to properly encompass the mind-numbing rage that floods every limb, every sense, every conscious function. “Red” implies that she’s still capable of seeing anything beyond the de-stealthed rogue and the crumpled white form at his feet.

  
“Red” skips over the blistering, blinding terror that makes Yasuko’s heart seize in her chest at the sight of Merrill crumpling at the feet of the rogue, his daggers slick with her blood.

A roar rips its way out of her throat, visceral and vicious, as she tears through the smuggler in front of her, a upwards swing that cleaves through their torso, cleaving them diagonally from hip to shoulder. Before the pieces even hit the ground she’s running, black steel boots tracking blood through the dirt of the smuggling tunnels.

  
It feels like it’s taking too long, that she’s too slow, too fucking slow, as more smugglers try to engage her. She doesn’t have the fucking time to waste on them, on any of them except for the dual-wielding bastard. An arrow thuds into the skull of one, and Hawke decapitates the second with a single swing.

  
The rogue, turned to face her, narrows his eyes, hand flying to his belt to pull out a little black vile, about to stealth before the rampaging warrior reaches him.

  
If his opponent was truly human, maybe he would’ve managed it.

  
Moving faster than any human should be able to, Yasuko closes the gap, gauntleted hand shooting out to grab his throat, and then with a ferocious snarl, she rips her hand away, taking his windpipe with him. Blood spurts and floods his lungs and Hawke brings her blade back, ramming it straight through his middle, hilting the greatsword in his torso.

  
There’s a second of stillness, as he gurgles and chokes on his own blood, before Hawke pulls back the blade and savagely kicks him off, sending him tumbling into the dirt.

  
It was all over in a matter of seconds.

  
At her feet, Merrill groans, and the fear comes back, breaking Hawke from the beastly trance. She alive and conscious, if a bit stunned, but the pooling blood on her back doesn’t do any good for Hawke’s nerves. She sinks to her knees instantly, immediately helping the injured elf to sit up, on arm steady at her back, the other pulling a potion from her belt pouch.

  
“Hawke…? Are you… are you okay?”

  
Hawke laughs, but can’t quiet keep the shakiness out of it.

  
“Considering I wasn’t stabbed in the back, I think I’m doing alright,” she replies with a cavalier grin that almost doesn’t feel forced, offering the potion to Merrill, and fighting back a sigh of relief when she drinks it and colour starts returning to her face.

  
“I must look a mess right now, all bloodied up,” Merrill says slowly, after downing the potion, wincing at the feeling of her wounds stitching together, “can you erm- I think I need a little help up.”

  
It takes a lot of willpower to stop herself from simply scooping her up into her arms, but Yasuko manages it, keeping her arm under Merrill’s shoulders, leaning forward so she can drape her own across her shoulders.

  
“I think I can walk on my own,” Merrill begins gently, trying to meet Hawke’s eyes, focused deadset at the end of the cave as they are.

  
“I know.”

  
“I’m alright, ma vhenan. I’m alright.”

  
She looks this time, dark green eyes alight with a panic that refuses to fade away, and gently, slowly pulls her arm away, moving instead to wrap it around her slim shoulders.

  
“I know.”


End file.
